


After All the Messes and Confessions

by jule1122



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Fluff, Isobel is a great sister, Isobel ships Malex, M/M, Post S2, outside pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:34:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24813931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jule1122/pseuds/jule1122
Summary: If Isobel has her way, Alex and Michael will get the happy ending Tripp and Nora deserved.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 40
Kudos: 224





	After All the Messes and Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Honeybee" by The Head and the Heart

Isobel slid into the booth across from Alex and stole the paper he was writing on. “Ohh, are you writing another love song for my brother? Let me read it.”

“No,” Alex snatched the paper back while she was distracted by the waiter bringing her coffee.

“You're adopting a dog?”

“Maybe,” Alex shrugged.

“That’s sweet. Michael loves dogs,” she said brightly as she fixed her coffee.

“Really?” Alex didn’t look impressed.

“Everyone loves dogs. They’re cute. Fine,” she sighed when Alex continued to stare her down. “I’m sure he’d love _your_ dog. So why aren’t you writing him another love song?” Time to get this conversation back on track.

“He didn’t stay to hear all of the first one,”

Isobel cut him off. “Oh, he’s heard it all, many many times.” 

“How?” Alex looked confused. “I saw him leave.”

“It’s all over the Pony’s social media,” Isobel waved her hand. “He watches it a lot.” She can’t count the number of times in the last month he stared longingly at his phone screen while listening to it in front of her. When he’s alone, she’s pretty sure he cries and masturbates to it. Hopefully not at the same time, but you never knew with Michael.

“The Wild Pony has social media?”

Isobel rolled her eyes. Of course that was the part he focused on. “It does now. Maria may not always be my favorite person, but she is family. And if there was ever a business in need of a social media guru, it was that place. The Instagram pics of Max bartending alone have significantly increased the traffic at ladies night.”

“Imagine what shirtless pics could do for a LGBTQ+ night.”

“Don’t worry, I have plans.” Isobel was about to launch into her thoughts on how to expand the diversity of the clientele when she realized what Alex was doing. She narrowed her eyes and glared at him. “Stop trying to distract me. Michael is an idiot.”

“And that’s my cue to leave.”

Alex started to get up, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm. “I know you have something going on with the open mic guy.” Isobel couldn’t remember his name, and it seemed gauche to call him nazi guy like Michael did.

“Forrest?” Alex sighed, but stopped trying to leave. “We’re not together. I kissed him, and we went out a few times, that’s all. But that has nothing to do with Michael. He’s made it clear he’s not interested.”

“That’s not why he left. Michael’s decided there’s some perfect time for the two of you to be together. It’s like he thinks if he waits for some sign or if he figures out when the stars are aligned just right, it will guarantee your happiness.”

“I’m not pushing him into something he’s not ready for. I’ve done that myself, and all I did was hurt him.”

“I know that, and I wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t ready. I just can’t sit by and watch him wait for this ‘right time.’ There’s never going to be a perfect time, not in Roswell. Tripp thought he and Nora had time too. I don’t want you to end up like him.”

“Buried under Flint’s tool shed?” Alex asked as soon as she took a sip of her coffee.

Isobel held her hand to her mouth to keep from spitting coffee all over the table. “Oh fuck you,” she laughed as soon as she could safely take a breath. “We’re joking about that now? I was going to give you another week before I asked about what other skeletons were in your closet.”

“None that I’m sharing with you.”

“Fair enough, it’s more fun when I find them myself, anyway,” Isobel conceded before once again trying to steer the conversation back to Michael. “I know I’m overstepping, but I love my brother, and I’m tired of watching him be miserable.”

Alex looked away, but Isobel knew she had his attention. “Do you need life to be calmer or Michael to be more settled before you can be in a relationship with him.”

“No,” Alex answered immediately.

“Good, because I don’t know if either of those things are ever going to happen. And if that’s what you need, both of you should move on.”

“I’ve made Michael feel like he wasn’t enough before, that my fear was about who he was not my own issues,” Alex confessed. Isobel could feel the anxiety and sadness radiating from him. “I’ve tried to explain it to him, but I’m not good at talking about it. I don’t need Michael to be anyone but who he already is. But If he needs more than that, I want to respect that.”

“Michael has always been reckless, with his life and his happiness. He never thought he had anything to lose,” Isobel won’t ever be over him giving up his scholarship and letting her think he was a murderer for ten years and acting like it was nothing. “But his heart is a different story. He keeps everyone at a distance or actively pushes us away. Now that he is starting to believe he can be happy, that he can have the future he dreamed of, he doesn’t know to take the next step so he’s manufacturing roadblocks and disguising them as hope. I’m just asking you,” Isobel paused, searching for the right words. She was _not_ going to quote his own song lyrics to him, “to let him know you don’t need perfection.” 

“It was nice seeing you, Isobel,” Alex stood up and walked to the counter.

This time Isobel didn’t try to stop him. She’s done what she could.

A few weeks later, when Michael texted “Stay out of it, Iz,” she ignored it. There was no point when her only response of “I could if you weren’t such a dumbass,” was heavily implied.

The next time she saw Alex at the Crashdown, the opposite side of the booth was empty again, but only because Michael sat next to him, so close he was practically in his lap.

After Isobel joined them, she suspected at least some part of Michael’s anatomy was in Alex’s lap. “Hands on the table, Michael.”

He complied with a smirk. “I don’t need my hands to make Alex feel good.”

Alex shifted suspiciously before blushing and hiding his face in Michael’s back.

“Gross,” Isobel made a face at Michael. “People are trying to eat here.”

“You only have yourself to blame.”

“What you mean is that you both owe me,” Isobel corrected even though she knew she would owe Alex forever if he kept making Michael this happy. “Dinner at my place next Thursday. Bring your brother, the cute one,” she directed this to Alex, then paused and clarified. “The cute one who didn’t kidnap you.”

“No, absolutely not. Just no. We’re not doing this Isobel.”

She ignored Michael’s protests as she exited the booth. “Seven sharp. Love you both,” she leaned down and kissed both their cheeks.

She stopped in the doorway and looked back one more time. Michael’s head rested on Alex’s shoulder, and they stared into each other’s eyes, her presence already forgotten. She looked away just as Alex pressed a gentle kiss to Michael's lips. Isobel discretely wiped her eyes before walking out. 

Now, what to do about Max.


End file.
